Engine launching device



Dec. 17, 1968 JEAN-JACQUES GRlEssEN ENGINE LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed oct.'14, 1966 Dec. 17, 1968 JEAN-JACQUES GRIESSEN 3,416,402

ENGINE LAUNCHING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Shea?I 2 Filed oct. 14, 196e /fWf/vraey wry/3374,.,

Dec. 17, 1968 JEAN-JACQUES GRlEssl-:N 3,416,402

ENGINE LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed om. 14, 1966 5 sheets-sheet s Hrrys.

Dec. 17, 1968 JEAN-JACQUES GRlEssEN 3,416,402

ENGINE L AUNCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 yy? vfENGINE LAUNCHING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 14, 1966 UnitedStates Patent O 3,416,402 ENGINE LAUNCHING DEVICE Jean-Jacques Griessen,Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to Transurvey Holding Company Inc., S.A.Filed Oct. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 586,721 Claims priority, applicationSwitzerland, Oct. 22, 1965, 14,628/65 6 Claims. (Cl. 89-1) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A projectile launcher comprises a fixed percussion devicehaving a cylindrical recess at its forward end and a launcher having acylindrical outer contour at its rear end which freely but closelyslidably ts within the percussion device recess. The launcher has aninternal explosion chamber for receiving an explosive charge. Aprojectile has a cylindrical recess at its rear end that freely butclosely slidably tits over the cylindrical forward end of the launcher,so that the side walls of the percussion device recess and theprojectile recess between them conne and reinforce at least most of theside walls of the explosion chamber. The explosion chamber has aslidable piston therein so that it is expansible at the same time thatit is tightly closed, so that noise and gas do not escape.

The present invention has for its object an engine launching device,such as anti-tank grenades, tear-exciting grenades, bursting grenades,ring grenades, and so on, by means of a launching charge located in anexplosion chamber.

There now exist different categories of launching devices of this typewhich are the following:

(1) The launching devices in which the propulsive charge is fast withthe gun-carrier or resting and sighting device. The major drawback ofthese devices resides in the impossibility to effect rapid ring. Infact, between each ring, one has to load the launching device, whichnecessitates obviously a loss of time.

(2) The launching devices in which the propulsive charge is fast withthe grenade or engine having to be launched. The major drawback of thistype of propulsion device is to increase, nearly to double, the weightof the grenade for a same useful charge of it, which causes naturally agreat reduction of the range as well as a great increase of the recoilof the launching device for a given propulsive charge.

The two types of launching devices mentioned hereabove may have either aclosed explosion chamber, or an explosion chamber communicating with anexpansion and escape chamber for the explosion gases. However, the rstsolution, with the closed explosion chamber, is generally preferred eventhough it requires a stronger and thus heavier explosion chamber, sinceit permits to obtain an operation of the launching device which isperfectly silent.

The present invention has for its object a launching device for aprojectile, comprising a gun-carrier provided with a percussion anddetent device as well as a launching charge located inside an explosionchamber char- 3,416,402 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 acterized by the factthat this explosion chamber is connected to the projectile and/or to thepercussion and detent device by means of a sliding coupling in the axialdirection and by the fact that the launching charge is independent aswell from the projectile as from the guncarrier and of its percussionand detent device, so that after firing this launching charge is ejectedbut still not launched with the projectile.

The attached drawing shows schematically and by way of example oneembodiment and some variants of the launching device for enginesaccording to the invention.

FIGURE l is a partial longitudinal cross-section of the launching deviceshowing more particularly the launcherin ring position.

FIGURE 2 is a partial longitudinal cross-section of the launcher showinga variant of it.

FIGURE 3 is a partial longitudinal cross-section of the launching deviceshowing more particularly the percussion and detent device at theunloaded stage.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cross-section of the percussion and detentdevice during its loading.

FIGURE 5 is a partial longitudinal cross-section of the launching deviceshowing more particularly the launcher immediately after the tiring.

FIGURE 6 is a view on a reduced scale, certain parts eing partiallybroken away, of the launching device provided with a projectile infiring position.

FIGURE 7 is a partial view on a reduced scale, certain parts beingbroken away, of the launching device and of the projectile immediatelyafter the firing.

FIGURE 8 is a partial view on a reduced scale of one embodiment of thelaunching device comprising an orientable gun-carrier.

FIGURE 9 shows a variant of the launching device this one being mountedon a fire-arm.

FIGURE 10 shows a variant of the launching device which comprises afixed gun-carrier.

FIGURE l1 shows a variant of the launching device on a rifle butt.

FIGURE 12 shows a variant of the launcher in partial longitudinalcross-section.

The launching device, object of the present invention, comprises agun-carrier or resting and sighting device, a launcher or explosionchamber, provided with its launching charge and a percussion and detentdevice, xed on the gun-carrier, the whole being provided for thelaunching of an engine, such as an anti-tank grenade, a tear-excitinggrenade, an explosive charge grenade, a firing grenade, or asignalisation grenade and so on.

The gun-carrier A may present different embodiments as illustrated inFIGURES 8 to 11 but it always serves as a support during the firing aswell as a sighting device.

In the variant shown in FIGURE 8, the gun-carrier A is constituted by abase plate 1 the lower surface of which comprises formations 2 intendedto enter in contact with the ground and to provide a good supportenabling the absorption of recoil. The upper surface of this plate isfor example planar and comprises a threaded blind hole intended toreceive the threaded lower end of the percussion and detent device B. Asighting member 3 is also xed on the upper surface of the plate 1.

The gun-carrer forms a mobile support which can be orientated. In factthe rifleman lays the base plate 1 on the ground and orientates it inthe desired direction. Thanks to the formations 2 of the lower face ofthis base plate 1, it is able to transmit the recoil of the firing tothe ground even if this plate 1 forms with the surface of the ground apronounced angle.

In the variant shown in FIGURE 10, the gun-carrier A is constituted by aplate 4 the surface of which is adapted to receive the percussion anddetent device B as well as the sighting member 3 as in the variant shownat FIG- URE 8. But the lower face of this plate 4 is provided with apoint 5 intended to be driven in the ground. This variant constitutesthus a gun-carrier enabling firing several times successively withoutproceeding to a new sighting operation. In fact the orientation of theplate 4 and thus of the gun-carrier is fixed.

In the variant shown in FIGURE 9, the gun-carrier or resting andsighting device A constituted by the plates 1 and 4 of the variants ofthe gun-carrier shown at FIG- URES 8 and 10 is replaced by a sleeve 6 onone end of which the percussion and detent device B is threaded whereasits other end presents a blind hole enabling this sleeve to be slid overthe free end 7 of a 4gun for example.

Finally, in the variant shown in FIGURE 1l, the sleeve 6 described inreference to FIGURE 9 is fixed by means of fixing members 8 on a butt 9.This butt 9 constituting the gun-carrier A is provided with dampingmembers 10 and 11 of synthetic or natural rubber for example in order todamp the recoil effect during the firing. This last variant of thegun-carrier for the propulsion device is particularly well adapted toshort-range firing.

The percussion and detent device B is fastened by its lower threaded end12 on the gun-carrier A so as to be solid with it but still removable.In this way a same percussion and detent device B may be used accordingto the needs with anyone of the types of gun-carriers described above orof the existing gun-carriers.

This percussion and detent device comprises a support 13 the lowerthreaded extremity 12 of which (FIG- URE 4) is fixed to the gun-carrierA and the upper part of which forms a chamber 15 the upper front end ofwhich is open and gives passage to the lower part 16 of a sliding member17 of this device B. This lower part 16 of the said sliding member 17presents an outside diameter which corresponds to the diameter of thechamber 15 of the support 13 and a length which is equal to that of thechamber 15. This sliding member 17 slides without clearance inside thechamber of the support 13. The upper part 18 of this sliding member 17presents a diameter which is greater at its lower part so as to form ashoulder 19 limiting the depth of introduction of the lower part 16 inthe chamber 15 of the support 13.

The bottom 20 of the lower part 16 of this sliding member is pierced bya hole 21 opening inside a first housing of small diameter 22 givingaccess itself to a second housing 23 of greater diameter and extendinginside the greater part of the sliding member 17. This second housing 23is limited upwardly by a wall 24 driven in the bottom of a hole 25opening in the upper front face of the sliding member 17 This wall 24 ispierced in its center and gives passage to a percussion pusher 26 thehead 27 of which is located inside the hole 25 and is of greaterdiameter than the hole in the wall 24 whereas its tail traversing thesaid wall is provided with a piston 28 the diameter of which correspondsto that of the second housing 23 provided inside the sliding member 17.The length of the tail of the pertcussion pusher 26 is such that thispusher may effect axial displacements along the longitudinal axis of thepercussion and detent device of the order of 2 to 7 mm. for example.

A stopping rod 14 fixed rigidly to the support 13 and extending axiallythrough the chamber 15 traverses the hole 21 of the sliding member 17and extends coaxially inside the housings 22 and 23 of the lower part ofthis sliding member 17. The length of this stopping rod 14 isapproximately equal to the sum of the lengths of the chamber 15 and ofthe part of the second housing 23 located inside the lower part 16 ofthe sliding member 17. The upper end of this stopping rod 14 presents anabutment 29 constituted in the example shown by a nut threaded on theupper threaded end of this stopping rod 14.

A sleeve 30 slides freely inside the second housing 23 and presents aheight approximately equal to the length of the part of this housing 22located inside the lower part 16 of the sliding member 17. The outsidediameter of this sleeve 30 corresponds to the diameter of the secondhousing 23 whereas the inside surface of said sleeve 30 comprises anannular stop 31 the upper face of which is intended to cooperate, duringthe loading of the percussion and detent device, with the lower face ofthe abutment 29 of the stopping rod 14 which extends through this sleeve30. A spring 32 resting on the bottom 20 of the sliding member 17 on theone hand and on the lower face of the annular stop 31 of the sleeve 30on the other hand tends to maintain this sleeve in a position such thatits annular stop 31 is driven against the abutment 29'of the stoppingrod 14.

Finally, the percussion and detent device B comprises further a detentpivoted on the sliding member 17 and comprising a retaining finger 33which, in loaded position, extends into the housing 23a sufiicientdistance, defined by a dog 34 cooperating with the outside surface ofthe upper part 18 of the sliding member 17, in order to be located onthe path of the sleeve 30. This detent comprises further a controlmember 35 and is subjected 4to the action of a spring 36 tending tomaintain it in loaded position.

It is further to be noted that the outside diameter of the supoprt 13 isequal to the outside diameter of the upper part 18 of the sliding member17 so that when the percussion and detent device is either in loaded orin unloaded position the outside surface of this device B is smooth anddoes not present any projection other than the detent 32 itself. This isimportant for the security of the rifieman, who does not risk in anycase being hurt by the recoil of the propulsion device at the time ofthe firing.

The working of the percussion and detent device is the following:

In unloaded position, illustrated in FIGURE 3, the sliding member 17 iscompletely engaged in the chamber 15 of the support 13 and the sleeve 30is maintained by its return spring 32 in a high position that is nearlycompletely located inside the upper part 18 of the sliding member 17.The spring 32 is not compressed in the example shown and the annualabutment 31 does not enter in contact with the abutment 29. However, ina variant the spring 32 could `be pre-compressed and the axial positionof the sleeve 30 would be determined by the cooperation of the annularabutment 31 with the abutment 29. In this unloaded position, the finger33 of the detent is maintained against the outside surface of the sleeve30 under the action of the return spring 36.

To load the percussion and detent device the user displaces the slidingmember 17 in the direction of the arrow f (FIGURE 4) until the annularabutment 31 of the sleeve enters in contact with the abutment 29 and thespring 32 is sufficiently compressed and the upper edge of the saidsleeve 30 moves under the finger 33 of the detent. This detent movesimmediately angularly under the action of the spring 36 so that thefinger 33 is disposed in the path of the upper edge of the sleeve 30.The angular displacement of the detent is limited by contact of the dog34 with the outside sur-face of the sliding member 17. The displacementof the sliding member 17 in the direction of the arrow f is limited bythe cooperation of the lower end of the sleeve 30 with the shoulderseparating the first housing 22 from the second housing 23 of thismember 17. The respective dimensions of the rod 14, of the sleeve 30 andof the lower part 16 of the member 17 are such that at the end of thestroke the lower part 16 of the member 17 is still engaged in thechamber 15 of the support on a distance suficient to ensure the guiding.

Then the user displaces the sliding member 17 in the opposite directionto the arrow j to replace it in the position which it was occupyingbefore, that is, the position shown in FIGURE 3. During thisdisplacement the sleeve 30 is driven through the iinger 33 of the detentagainst the action of the spring 32 until it reaches its lower positioninside the second housing 23, which is itself disposed inside thechamber of the support 13. From that moment, the percussion and detentdevice B is loaded and it suices, to cause the firing, to displace thecontrol member 35 of the detent against the action of the spring 36 tolfree the sleeve 30 which displaces itself under the action of thespring 32 and comes in contact with the piston 28 causing the axialdisplacement of the percussion pusher 26 which causes then the firing ofthe launcher in a manner which will be described later on.

The launching device comprises further a launcher C comprising anexpansible explosion chamber, in the example shown, as well as a pushingdevice cooperating with the engine D to be launched and which may beconstituted iby a grenade of any known type.

This engine D comprises a head 37 housing an explosive charge or acharge of any other nature and a tail 38 provided with guiding ilyers39. The tail 38 is hollowed and presents a cylindrical housing 40. It is:to be noted that these engines are of standard dimensions in respect oftheir tail in any case and that different heads 37 may be adapted to asame type of tail 38.

It is further to be noted that the diameter of the hole opening on thefrontal free face of the percussion and detent device presents adiameter identical to that of the cylindrical housing 40 provided in thetail of the engine to be launched.

The launcher C has :the shape of a cylinder having a circularcross-section and an outside diameter corresponding to the insidediameter of the hole 25 as well as to that of the cylindrical housing40. In ring position, shown for example in FIGURES l, 3, 6 and 10, thelower end of the launcher C is located in ythe hole 25, whereas itsupper end is located in the cylindrical housing 40 of the engine D. Thislauncher C is thus connected on the one hand to the projectile and onthe other hand to the percussion and detent device by means of axiallysliding couplings. The outside diameter of the launcher C is such thatit slides freely, still being strictly guided, inside the hole 25 andthe housing 40.

The lower part of the launcher C comprises a ring chamber 41 thediameter of which corresponds lto that of a bullet or blank cartridge ofa cartridge case 42 containing launching charge. This firing chamber 41comprises a hole 43 connecting it to the outside of the launcher intraversing the lower bottom of it. The diameter of this hole 43corresponds to the diameter of the head 27 of the percussion pusher 26,which in ring position, is located in the said hole and enters incontact with a percussion mass 44 the diameter of which corresponds tothat of the tiring chamber 41. This percussion mass 44 presents on itsface directed towards lthe cartridge case 42 a percussion projection 45.

The firing chamber 41 intended to receive the cartridge case 42 opens inan explosion cham-ber 46 presenting a diameter greater than that of thefiring chamber 41. These chambers 41 and 46 are separated by means of apiston 47 :the skirt 48 of which is intended to surround either thebottom of the cartridge case 42 (variant shown in FIGURE l), or thebullet 49 or the summit of a blank cartridge case 42 (variant Shown inFIGURE 3) depending on whether the cartridge case 42 is placed in thefiring chamber 41 in one direction or in the other. The lower free .partof this skirt 48 of the piston 47 rests on the shoulder 50 separatingthe firing chamber 41 from the explosion chamber 46.

The lower surface of the piston 47, located inside its skirt 48, isprovided with a percussion projection 51, whereas the frontal upper faceof the piston 47 presents a general tapered shape.

According to the position of the cartridge case 42 inside :the firingchamber, bottom upwards or bottom downwards, the percussion is obtainedby the introduction of the percussion projection 51 or 45 in the frontalface of the bottom of the cartridge case 42.

It is to be noted that the distance separating the two percussionprojections 51 and 45, when the percussion mass 44 rests on the bottomof the firing chamber 41 and the lower edge of the skirt 48 of thepiston 47 rests on the shoulder 50, is ygreater than the length of ablank or bullet cartridge case 42, so that any unwanted displacement ofthe piston 47 can in no case cause the percussion and thus the iiring.One should note also that the mass 44 being of very light weight andbeing able to move a very short way only, it can in no case, even underthe action of violent shocks to which the launcher C could be subjected,cause the percussion of the cartridge case 42 and the tiring of thelaunching explosive charge.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, the upper end of the launcher C iso'bturated by means of a threaded plug 52 pierced by a hole 53 coaxialwith the launcher C. The diameter of this hole 53 corresponds to thediameter of a pushing rod 54, the lower end of which presents a taperedchamfer intended to receive the upper surface of the piston 47, whereasthe upper end emerges slightly outside the launcher through the plu-g 52and presents a frontal tapered surface cooperating with the bottom of ablind hole provided in a pushing member 55 the frontal surface of whichrests against the bottom 56 of the tail of the engine D whereas itsdiameter corresponds to that of the cylindrical housing 40 of this tail.This pushing member 55 is intended to avoid that the pushing rod 54penetrate the engine D during the firing.

In the embodiment described, the launcher is reloadable; it suces infact after the firing to unscrew the plug 52 which is threaded and toreplace the charge. However, in other embodiments, the plug 52 could bedriven in under heat or not in the body of the launcher which, in thatcase, could not be reloaded.

In another variant shown in FIGURE 12, the plug 52 is omitted, in thismanner the explosive charge, the piston and the rod are ejected out ofthe launcher during the firing, even so these parts are independent fromthe projectile to be launched. In this case the launching device is nomore silient, the explosion and expansible chamber being no more closed,but on the other hand the reloading of the launcher is extremely rapidlyeffected. In certain variants the piston could form itself theprojectile to be launched.

It is to be noted that in this variant, the cartridge case is completelyhoused inside the piston. This piston may in a variant be solid with thepushing rod 54 which is then connected through a sliding coupling to theprojectile.

In a variant shown in FIGURE 2, the cartirdge case 42 comprises aspecial bottom 57, which constitutes directly the piston separating theiirinfg chamber 41 from the eX- plosion chamber 46. This bottom 57comprises a thick wall the diameter of which corresponds to that of theexplosion chamber 46 and the lower part of which cooperates with theshoulder 50 separating the chambers 41 and 46. In this variant, thepercussion projection 51 is carried by the lower frontal face of thepushing rod 54. A washer 58 of a supple material can be interposedbetween the frontal face of the bottom 57 and the percussion projection51 to avoid any unwanted tiring.

The operation of the engines launching device is the following:

When the device is in tiring position, that is to say that thepercussion and detent device B is fixed on the guncarrier A, that thelauncher C is introduced in the hole 25 of the percussion and detentdevice and that the tail 38 of the eng-ine D is slid on the upper partof the launcher, the -user proceeds in the above described manner, tothe loading of the percussion and detent device B, through a reciprocalmovement of the sliding member 17.

Then, when the sighting is effected and the launching device is placedaccording to the desired orientation, the user causes the firing bydisplacing the control member 35 of the detent against the action of thereturn spring 36. This has for effect to withdraw the linger 33 of thedetent out of the way of the sleeve 30, which, from then on, displacesitself under the action of its spring 32 in the direction of the piston28 of the percussion pusher 26. When this sleeve 30, thrown very quicklyunder the action of the spring 32, reaches the piston 28, it causes arapid and vigorous displacement of the percussion pusher -in thedirection of the launcher C. The head 27 of the percussion pusher 26,which is engaged in the hole 43 provided in the lower bottom of thelauncher, causes an axial displacement of the percussion mass 44,reducing thus the distance existing between the two percussionprojections 45 and 51. The cartridge case 42 containing the explosivecharge as well as the piston 47, or, in certain cases, the specialbottom 57 of the said cartridge case, are maintained in their locationunder the action of the weight of the engine D so that the firing can beeffected under the action of the axial displacement of the percussionpusher 26. The explosive charge of the cartridge case 42 is thus tired,which causes an explosion. Gases liberated by this explosion pushviolently the piston 47 or the bottom 57 towards the upper extremity ofthe explosion chamber 46. This piston `47 drives thus in itsdisplacement the pushing rod 54 as well as the pushing member 55 andthrough their intermediary, the engine D.

The explosion is effected in a closed chamber and lis extremely violentand the engine is launched at initial speeds very high, which permitsthe obtention of great ranges.

It is to be noted that the launching itself of the engine D causes theeject-ion of the launcher C from the housing 40 of the tail 38 of theengine, due to the ejection of the pushing rod 54 from the launcher.

One obtains thus the launching of the useful charge only, that is to sayof the engine D. The only dead weight which is accelerated is that ofthe pushing device Ipartially housed inside the launcher and formed bythe pushing rod 54 and by the pushing member 55 which, according to theclearance between this pushing member 55 and the housing 40 of theengine D, falls down to the bottom or on the contrary is taken with,through suction effect, the engine D a short distance 'before falling.The launcher C itself and thus the launching charge is in no case takenwith the engine in its trajectory. This particularity enables toconsiderably lighten the engines to be launched, by reducing their deadweight, which is very important since it enables to reach tiringdistances which have never been reached with this type of arm, andfurther to reduce the time between consecutive 'launchings For example,one can say that a useful charge, that is an engine D of a weight of 570grammes, may be launched, by tiring at 45, a distance of 635 meters bymeans of a launching charge of the order of 1.6 grammes of powder, thatis to say with a normal American cartridge No. 223. The same projectilelaunched conventionally, for example by a gun with the same charge,reaches a distance of 240 meters only by tiring at 45. With thedescribed device, one obtains in the described test an initial speed ofthe engine D of the order of 90 meters Der second.

Tests have also been made with launching charges of 3.2 grammes ofpowder, that is with cartridges of the NATO, and, always for a firing at45 and a grenade of a weight of 570 grammes, a distance of 1100 metershas been reached.

Several other tests have been realized with grenades for cannons of 60mm. having a weight of 1350 grammes.

The ranges reached are of 600 meters to 1000 meters according to theexplosive charge used.

Another advantage of the described device resides in the tiring speed.As a matter of fact, the launcher C being simply placed on thepercussion and detent device, it is extremely quickly taken out andreplaced or ejected during the tiring, so as to be ready to receive anew charge.

In certain cases, as illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 7, the launcher C iseven automatically ejected by the inertia effect of the piston 47arriving at the end of its stroke and/or by the suction effect duringthe ejection of the launcher C from the tail 38 of the engine to belaunched. In the tiring tests reported above, the automatic ejection ofthe launcher C has been obtained consistently. It sufces thus to therieman, to place a new launcher, onto which an engine has beenpreviously slid, on the percussion and detent device B and to reload itin order to be able to effect a new tiring.

In a variant, the launcher could present an upper opening of a diameterequal to that of the explosion chamber 46. In this variant, the launcheris used as a conventional gun with the advantage that the launchingcharge 42 is ejected at the firing which enables a rapid and eveninstantaneous reloading of the launcher C. In this case, the launcherremains on the gun-carrier.

It is further to be noted that the loading of the percussion and detentdevice B is extremely rapid since it requires only a simple reciprocalmovement. On the other hand, when the user is trained, or if a specialdevice is provided to this end, he may release the detent sufficientlyrapidly in order to obtain an automatic reloading of the percussion anddentent device B. As a matter of fact, under the effect of the explosionof the launching charge, the percussion pusher is violently rejectedbackwards, which causes the violent recoil of the sleeve 30 against theaction of its spring 32. If now the detent is released in time, thussubjected to the action of its return spring 36, that is before thesleeve reaches its extreme backward position, it comes to lock itself inloaded position under the nger 33 of the detent. This enables to furtheraccelerate the tiring, which may be of the greatest importance.

It is further to be noted that in the variants shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and5 in which the bottom of the cartridge case 42 is either driven in thepiston 47, or this bottom and this cartridge case constitute themselvesthe piston, one obtains an extremely good closure of the explosionchamber, even though the launcher C is open at both its ends. As amatter of fact, during the explosion, the lower end of the launcher ishermetically obturated by the pushing of the mass 44 against the lowerbottom of the launcher, which closes the hole 43. This obturation isabsolutely tight, since during tests, no gas escape has been seen atthis extremity of the launcher C. Further, due to the extremely violentpush inside the cartridge case 42, it lhas the tendency of dilating andcauses a correspondent deformation 'of the skirt 48 of the piston 47 orof its bottom 57. This radial deformation enables the obtention of aperfect closure o-f the explosion chamber towards the fore end of thelauncher, at the same time that it is also open at its fore end. In thevariant shown in FIGURE 3 where the bullet or the front part of thecartridge case 42 is placed in the piston 47, the tightness is slightlyless since the skirt of the piston 47 is not driven with force againstthe internal wall of the explosion chamber 46. Tests have however shownthat the tightness was good enough in this case too.

The obtention of a good closure is of first importance, since it permitslto realize a silent arm which is not detectable through the escapinggases. In fact, an explosion in the closed chamber is not visible noraudible. This is obviously of great tactical and psychologicalimportance for the use of this arm. Tests made have shown that 24 hoursafter the firing, the explosion gases were still retained inside theexplosion chamber.

In a variant not shown, one can provide for an additional charge inorder to increase the range of the engine to be launched.

This additional charge can be placed between the bottom 56 of the engineD and the pushing member 55, the frontal face of which would present insuch a variant a percussion projection. During the firing of the chargecontained in the launcher, the axial displacement of the pushing rod 54and of the pushing member 55 causes the percussion and the ring of the`additional charge. Thanks to the adjunction of this Iadditional charge,it is possible, without modification of the launching device, toincrease its efficiency 20 to 40%. It is however to be noted that inthis case, the arm is no longer absolutely silent, since this additionalcharge explodes in an open chamber, which is t-he cylindrical housing 40of the tail 38 of the engine D.

In a variant not illustrated, the pushing rod 54 could be fast with thepushing member 55 and this assembly could be either taken with theengine D during its launching or maintained with the launcher C.

In another variant, the pushing rod could be realized by a staggering ofwashers or of parts of low dimensions. In other variants, this rod couldbe constituted by a tube or even by a liquid column.

In a variant of the launcher where it comprises an upper aperture of adiameter equal to that of the explosion chamber 46, the piston 47 couldbe fast with the rod 54. It is even possible to give the lower extremityof this rod -54 a shape enabling to realize the function of the piston47.

In another variant, always in the case where the launcher C comprises atop opening of a diameter equal to that of the explosion chamber 46, thelower end of the rod 54 could be made in a manner to constitute thebottom 57 of the cartridge case 42 containing the launching charge. Sucha variant enables an instantaneous reloading of the launcher, in factafter the firing, it sufces to introduce in this launcher a new rod 54the lower end of which contains the launching charge and constitutessimultaneously a piston. This reloading operation can be effected duringthe setting in place of a new engine to be launched if the rod 54 isfixed to this engine. This variant is particularly advantageous, sinceit permits a greater eiciency due to the fact that the rod, lixed to theengine, is directly or indirectly in contact with the propulsive charge.

However, here also the launching charge is connected to the engine onthe one hand and to the gun-carrier on the other hand by means ofsliding couplings and the automatic separation of this launching chargefrom the engine and the gun-carrier is obtained during the firing.

In a non-illustrated variant the percussion and detent device could bediiferently constituted if it permits the firing. Particularly, thepercussion could be initiated by the impact of a projectile for exampleby a gun-bullet in the case where the launching device would be iixed onthe end of a gun, the recoil reaction of the launching charge absorbingthe kinetic energy of the bullet.

This percussion may also be obtained by the pressure of gases or by anelectro-kinetic process or by an electric firing.

In summary, the principal advantages of the launching device describedwith respect to the existing devices are the following:

(1) Reduction of the dead weight of the engine D to be launched, thusincreasing the proportion of the Weight of which corresponds to theusable charge.v

(2) Rapidity of the firing due to the automatic ejectability of thelauncher or at least of the launching charge as well as to the automaticreloading of the percussion and detent device which is possible.

(3) Obtention of a silent arm which is not detectable thanks to the factthat the explosion occurs in a tightly closed chamber.

(4) Obtention of a very high efliciency thanks to the very highpressures, of the order of 3000 to 10,000 kg./

cm.2 realized inside the explosion chamber. It is to be noted here thatthis explosion chamber can support these high pressures only during avery short time interval without deformation. However, at time of theexplosion, the launcher is practically completely surrounded by thepercussion and detent device, as well as by the tail of the grenade D,which gives an additional security for the user.

(5) Obtention of a relatively low recoil since the part of the recoildue to the ejection of the combustion gases to the atmosphere (forexample when a grenade is launched by means of a gun) is suppressed.

(6) It is possible to adapt several different gun-carriers.

(7) Any types of engines, in particular of grendaes, may be launchedwith this launching device, such as for example anti-hail projectiles,projectiles for under-water fishing, perforating engines, compressionengines, pneumatic motors, cannon projectiles and so on.

8) Obtention of a firing distance two or three times greater for a givencharge.

I claim:

1. A projectile launching device comprising a percussion device,alauncher having an explosion chamber for receiving an explosive charge,the percussion device having means for exploding a said explosive chargein the launcher, the percussion device having a cylindrical recess inits forward end, the launcher having a cylindrical outer contour at itsrear end that freely but closely slidably ts in said cylindrical recessso that the side walls of said cylindrical recess encompass andoutwardly confine the side walls of a portion of said explosion chamber,a piston slidable forwardly in said explosion charnber to apply theforce of a said explosion to a said projectile, and means for limitingthe forward motion of said piston in said chamber and for sealing thechamber against the escape of gases about said piston.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, and a ring member mounted forreciprocation in the rear end of said launcher for detonating a saidexplosive charge in said chamber upon forward movement of said firingmember under the impetus of said exploding means of said percussiondevice, said firing member having an enlarged forward end that seals thechamber against the escape of gases about the firing member uponrearward movement of the firing member under the impetus of a saidexploslon. Y

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, said explosion chamber having aportion of relatively large inside diameter and a portion of relativelysmall inside diameter, said piston being reciprocable in said portion ofrelatively large diameter, the side walls of said explosion chamberhaving a forwardly directed annular abutment shoulder between saidportions of the explosion chamber, said abutment shoulder limitingrearward movement of said piston.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, and a push rod extending forwardlyfrom said piston and being slidably mounted in the forward wall of saidexplosion chamber for applying the force of a said explosion to a saidprojectile.

5. A projectile launching device comprising a precussion device, alauncher having an explosion chamber for receiving an explosive charge,the percussion device having means for exploding a said explosive chargein the launcher, the'percussion device having a cylindrical recess inits forward end, the launcher having a cylindrical outer contour at itsrear end that freely but closely slidably fits in said cylindricalrecess so that the side walls of said'cylindrical recess encompass andoutwardly confine the side walls of a portion of said explosion chamber,said percussion device having a sleeve mounted for axial slidingmovement thereon, a detent carried by said sleeve, means yieldablyurging said detent toward a position in which it projects into theinterior of the sleeve,

a member slidably disposed within the sleeve, spring means carried bythe sleeve for continuously urging said slidable member forwardly, meanson said percussion device for drawing said slidable member to the rearagainst the action of said spring means upon forward movement of saidsleeve, to a position in which said detent releasably retains saidslidable member in said rearward position thereby to cock the percussiondevice, and means for selectively withdrawing said detent to permit saidsliding member to spring forwardly under the impetus of said springmeans to strike and actuate said exploding means.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, said cocking device comprising astationary rod coaxial with said sleeve, said slida'ble membercomprising a second sleeve coaxial with said stationary rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 SAMUEL W. ENGLE, PrimaryExaminer.

U.S. C1. XR.

